Rack with means for securing the contents



A .19,-1941. J $,JORDAN 2,253,181

RACK WITH MEANS FOR SECURING THE CONTENTS Filed July 5, 1940 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 19, 1941 RACK WITH MEANS FOR SECURING THE CONTENTS Jones S. Jordan, Chester Heights, Pa. 7 Application July 5, 1940, Serial No. 344,061

6 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in racks broadly, but more especially in that type which. is adapted to support and display numerous articles, such for instance as cans of automobile and other oils, paints, greases and the like, particularly in out-of-doors positions exposed to the general traffic of passersby, wherefore there is provided means for securing the displayed articles in such manner as to prevent their unauthorized removal, as by theft, but

without in any way covering or obscuring the ed into and within the radially outer limits of said column, and which is operative to be oscilangularly, so that one or more portions of said lockin means, when in operative position, extend outwardly from said column and either positively engage or are positioned closely adjacent to said articles, so as to prevent the latter from being lifted from their supporting shelves, while at the same time they are restrained from being slid laterally outwardly therefrom by upturned flanges carried by said shelves, or by equivalent means.

A further object is to provide in such a device a central column, which may be round but which is preferably of star shape or. of'such other angular cross section, that inwardly extending recesses are provided into which displayed articles project, while at the same time they cooperate with shelf flanges which to prevent any lateral shifting of said articles, independently of the position and operation of the locking means.

Still another object is to provide a construction, which can be economically formed from sheet metal, and assembled in such manner that a most efiicient device of its kind will be produced, and

positioned above and in operative relation to said shelves, includes in addition thereto means for effecting relative movement between said shelves and said locking means, so that either the shelves .2 lated radially or angularly, or both radially and are stationary and the locking means reciprocate with respect thereto, or the locking means remain fixed and the shelves move.

With the objects thus briefly set forth, the invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is, a central vertical section through a rack comprising one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of such a rack; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a schematic view comprising in reality a form of vertical perspective of a fragmentary portion of the star-shaped central column; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1, but showing only the central column in section and the star shaped locking disc in operative relation with respect thereto; Fig. 6 is a central vertical section of a slightly modified form of the device; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7'I of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawing, the embodiment of the invention here shown comprises a hollow metal base I, which may be circular, as shown, or instead may assume any other desired shape in outline. To this base is secured by any suitable means 2 a plate 3, having upwardly extending ears 4, which are spot-welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the lower end portion of a central vertically extending column 5 of sheet metal or the like, the upper open end of which is closed by means of a cap 6, which similarly may be spot-welded, riveted, or otherwise secured to said column. Said column may comprise either one or more sections and may be round, square or of other polygonal cross section, but preferably of such shape as to provide outer, circumferentially positioned recesses. An operating rod 1 of square or other polygonal cross section extends downwardly through a central aperture 8 in the cap, 6, and is both journaled within and detachably secured to the plate I, said rod being oscillatable angularly about its longitudinal axis by means of a laterally extending upper hand-grip portion 9, which is adapted for manual operation, but which may be supplanted by one or more other laterally extending arms at any other suitable location within the vertical limits of said column, in which case said arm would extend through a horizontally elongated aperture in said column. The cap 6 may be provided with an apertured lug 6a, to which the hand-grip 9 of said rod can be secured by a padlock (not shown) or the like.

Surrounding said column is preferably a plurality of vertically spaced shelves Ill, having peripheral flanges I I and fixedly secured to said column in any suitable manner. As shown, spaced transversely extending rods I2 extend initially slidably through oppositely positioned apertures I3 in said column and are preferably spotwelded to the under sides of said shelves, whereby these rods both support and tend to also stiffen said shelves. However, instead of this specific structure, metal from the central aperture I4 of each of said shelves may be deflected downwardly to provide spaced ears for spot-welding, or otherwise secured to the outer surface of said column in a manner similar to the ears 4 of the plate 3, which are secured to the inner surface of said column.

By referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that if the said column is formed of star shaped or equivalent cross section, peripherally spaced recesses I5 are provided in which containers of various sorts and/or other articles, represented by the cans. I6, may be positioned. For purposes of illustration, a sixpointed star, cross sectionally shown, provides angularly related pairs of surfaces I! and I8. Each of the alternately positioned surfaces I! is provided with slots I'Ia, which extend transversely across substantially the entire lateral limit of these surfaces, While across a portion only of the lateral extent of the intervening surfaces IS extend slots I 8a, which form continuations of the respective slots IIa. Corresponding substantially in shape with the internal cross section of said column are locking members comprising star-shaped plates I9, surrounding spaced portions of the oscillatory rod I and in alignment with the respective pairs of slots Ila and I8a. Each of these plates comprises radially projecting angular tongues 20, which when in retracted position, are located substantially, if not entirely, within the confines of each of the corresponding outward angular portions H of said column, but which tongues are adapted to be shifted into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 5, by and upon partial rotation of the rod I.

By connecting the tongues 20 by preferably arcuate intervening portions 22, which at all times extend slidably through the adjacent portions of the slots Illa, and I811, these locking plates are prevented from shifting vertically upon the rod I and thereby out of alignment with the slots through which they are intended to project. Accordingly, when these angular portions 20 are shifted into the dotted-line positions shown in Fig. 5, they are directly above and cooperate to prevent the adjacent can or other article It from being lifted from its supporting shelf ID, while the outer peripheral flange II of such shelf prevents such can or equivalent article from being slid laterally from beneath said locking means. Obviously, various devices may be provided for securing the handle 9 of the actuating shaft in either locking'or retracted position, wherefore it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate such a device.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, a modified form of the device is shown as comprising a hollow base 23 to which is secured a plate 2a, which in turn is secured by any suitable means to and maintains in upright position a central column 25 of sheet metal or the like, the upper end of which is completely closed by means of a securely positioned cap 26. Said column is preferably star shaped, as in the form of device first above described, but likewise may be of any other suitable shape, but preferably one which provides peripherally spaced recesses 26, for the partial reception of articles such as the cans 21, shown in the drawing. These cans are supported by vertically spaced shelves 28, secured to the outer surface of said column in any suitable manner, such as by spot-welding depending ears removed from their central portions, or otherwise, as for instance, by means of transversely extending rods 29, which pass through apertures 30 in the walls of said column. Said column is also provided at spaced regions with transversely extending partitions or spiders SI, through which reciprocatably extends the central operating rod 32, to which are secured radially outwardly directed sets of arms 33, the arms of each set being preferably though not necessarily connected together at their free end portions by means of a preferably circular band or rod 34, which is of such arrangement as to position it at all times above a portion of such articles, as the can 21, as may rest upon the shelves immediately therebeneath. There may be any number of said arms in each set, and it will be noted that they extend through vertically arranged apertures 34 in the walls of said column, and at their inner ends are fixedly secured by any suitable means to the actuating rod 32. This rod may be shifted vertically by any suitable means positioned adjacent to its top, bottom, or in a suitable intermediate position. However, for purposes of illustration, the rod is shown in Fig. 6 as being provided at its lower end with spaced collars 35, between which extends the inner forked end .36 of a lever, which projects through the column 25 and is pivotally secured thereto at 31, while being provided with a free outwardly extending end portion 38 for manual engagement, or to serve as a pedal by which the rod 32 is lifted at will, so as to thereby correspondingly lift the arms 33 and locking means 34, to release the cans or other articles 2! for withdrawal from the respective shelves, following which said rod and lock ing means will descend of their own weight. It is obvious that, instead of the articles on display being released by an upward movement of said rod and said locking means attached thereto, they might be equally released by lowering said rod with the supporting shelves attached thereto and lowered thereby, while said locking means remained in fixed position attached to said column. With either such construction, any suitable means may be employed to secure said rod in such predetermined position as to lock the articles on display against theft or other form of unauthorized removal, as for instance by providing a latch or equivalent fastening means for the lever 38.

While two forms of the device have been herein described, the general arrangement is believed to be suificiently novel to permit numerous variations in the details of construction and operation which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A rack, comprising a column, a shelf secured to said column and having means to prevent the direct lateral displacement of an article therefrom, an angularly oscillatable locking disc carried by said column, and a manually actuable member extending upwardly through said column for shifting said locking disc into and out of having apertures, a laterally enlarged base detachably secured thereto, a series of laterally extending shelves secured to said column, discs provided with tongues extendable through the apertures in the walls of said column above the respective shelves, means carried by said shelves to prevent the direct lateral displacement of articles therefrom, and an angularly movable member of polygonal cross section extending through said discs and upwardly through said column, to shift the tonguesof said discs into and out of vertical alignment with articles carried by said shelves.

4. A rack, comprising hollow column of a cross section providing peripherally arranged recesses, a series of shelves secured to said column, the column walls of each of said recesses being provided with apertures, discs within said column having tongues extendable through said apertures above said shelves, means to prevent the direct displacement of articles from said shelves, and an angularly rotatable member extending upwardly through said column and secured to said discs, to shift the tongues of said discs into and out of vertical alignmentwith articles carried by said shelves within said recesses.

5. A rack, comprising a hollow column of starshaped cross section providing outwardly extending wall portions and intervening peripherally arranged recesses, a series of shelves secured to said column, the opposite walls of said recesses being provided with aligned slots, discs within said column rotatable within the radially innermost portions of said slots and provided with tongues extendable through said slots into said recesses above said shelves, said tongues being substantially retractable within the outwardly extending wall portions of said column, a shaft extending vertically through said column and connected to each of said discs, whereby oscillation of said shaft shifts said tongues into and out of said wall recesses above articles carried therein by said shelves.

6. A rack, comprising a hollow column of starshaped cross section providing outwardly extending wall portions and intervening peripherally arranged recesses, a series of shelves secured to said column, the opposite walls of said recesses being provided with aligned slots, discs Within said column rotatable within the radially innermost portions of said slots and provided with tongues extendable through said slots into said recesses above said shelves, said tongues being substantially retractable laterally within the outwardly extending wall portions of said column, a shaft extending vertically through said column and connected to each of said discs, whereby oscillation of said shaft shifts said tongues into and out of said wall recesses above articles carried therein by said shelves, and permanent cooperation of said discs with said slots prevents vertical shifting of said discs with respect to said shelves.

JONES S. JORDAN. 

